1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a navigation apparatus for indicating map information to let the user reach his/her destination in a comfortable way.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 34 is a block diagram showing a related art navigation apparatus shown for example in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei.-11-6739. In the figure, a numeral 300 represents a basic map information storage medium for storing basic map information, 10 a navigation section for performing navigation referring to map information including basic map information, 11 a gyro sensor for detecting the location of local apparatus, 12 a display for displaying map information, 400 an additional information storage medium for storing difference information used to form the latest map data, 20 a synthesizer for synthesizing map information stored in the basic map information storage medium 300 and additional information stored in the additional information storage medium 400, 100 a GPS satellite for originating a GPS signal used to detect, in cooperation with the gyro sensor, the location of the local apparatus, and 200 a sending station for originating traffic jam information.
Next, the operation of the navigation apparatus will be described. It is possible to detect the location of the local apparatus via the GPS satellite 100 or gyro sensor 11. Next, the navigation section 10 synthesizes map information stored in the basic map information storage medium 300 and additional information stored in the additional information storage medium 400 in the synthesizer 20 to use the latest map information. The latest map information thus obtained is displayed on the display 12. Then, the navigation section 10 performs navigation while considering traffic jam information transmitted by the sending station 200. While additional information is stored in the additional information storage medium 400, it may be acquired for example via a communication path.
Since the related art navigation apparatus synthesizes basic map information and additional information to perform navigation using the same display as that of ordinary map information, it is difficult for the user to recognize modified information and the information on the display is not appropriate for making a proper judgment.
The invention is intended to solve such problems, and an object of the invention is to readily transmit updated information obtained by updating map information with difference information to the user so that the user may always make judgement that is based on map information.
Navigation apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention is a navigation apparatus comprising a map database that records map data in a fixed storage medium, a map data read section for reading map data from the map database, and a navigation section for detecting the location of local apparatus, calculating a proper route to a destination specified by the user, and giving guidance to the destination according to the route, characterized in that the navigation apparatus comprises a map information acquisition section for acquiring map information from outside the navigation apparatus and a map information update section for updating the map database with the map information acquired by the map information acquisition section, that the navigation section comprises an emphasis display section for displaying the data detected in a difference data detecting section in an emphasized way and an emphasis voice guidance section for giving emphasis guidance of the data detected in the difference data detecting section, and that the map information update section comprises a difference data detecting section for detecting modified data from the map data read by the map data read section in the map information acquired by the map information acquisition section and a map information merging section for merging map data read by the map data read section and map information acquired by the map information acquisition section to generate updated map data.
A navigation apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention is characterized in that the map information acquisition section comprises an acquirable information presenting section for presenting map information to the user that can be acquired from outside and a target information selecting section for the user to select target map information from the acquirable map information presented to the user.
A navigation apparatus according to the third aspect of the invention is characterized in that the map information acquisition section comprises a target information specification section for the user to specify target map information to be acquired from outside.
A navigation apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the invention is characterized in that the map information acquisition section comprises a target information unspecification section for canceling user specification to limit target information on the geographical area necessary for a route search and maintaining the unspecification when information on the geographical area where specification is canceled is subsequently acquired.
A navigation apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the invention comprises an emphasis management section for performing emphasis display and emphasis voice guidance, characterized in that the emphasis management section comprises an emphasis start determination section for determining the timing of starting emphasis display or emphasis voice guidance, an emphasis display end determination section for determining the timing of ending emphasis display, and an emphasis display level determination section for determining the emphasis level of each item to be displayed emphatically.
A navigation apparatus according to the sixth aspect of the invention comprises an emphasis management section for managing the emphasis method, characterized in that the emphasis management section comprises an emphasis unit determination section for determining to emphasize emphasis unit information that stores the types of items preselected by the user and data corresponding to the emphasis unit information.
A navigation apparatus according to the seventh aspect of the invention comprises an emphasis management section for managing the emphasis method and a map data usage characteristics learning section for learning the map data usage characteristics of the user, characterized in that the emphasis management section comprises an emphasis detail level determination section for determining the detail level of the contents to be displayed emphatically or to undergo emphasis voice guidance in accordance with the map data usage characteristics learned by the map data usage characteristics learning section.
A navigation apparatus according to the eighth aspect of the invention comprises an emphasis management section for managing the emphasis method, characterized in that the emphasis management section comprises a due date information detecting section for detecting due date information in case due date information is included in the difference data detected in the difference data detecting section and a due date emphasis instructing section for instructing due date emphasis to the emphasis display section or an emphasis voice guidance section according to the due date described in the due date information detected by the due date information detecting section.
A navigation apparatus according to the ninth aspect of the invention comprises an emphasis management section for managing the emphasis method, characterized in that the emphasis management section comprises an emphasis characteristics learning section for learning the emphasis characteristics of the user.
A navigation apparatus according to the tenth aspect of the invention is characterized in that the emphasis display section, recognizing an item to be displayed emphatically, emphasizes the item in a way different from the emphasis of the current items displayed emphatically.
A navigation apparatus according to the eleventh aspect of the invention is characterized in that the difference data detecting section comprises a difference area calculating section for calculating the geographical area where difference data is present and that the emphasis display section shows that difference data is present in the lower-layer map data in case the geographical area calculated by the difference area calculating section is contained in the lower layer of the displayed map data.